Abdulellah Al Thobaity

This pre–post interventional study explores the effectiveness of simulation-based training in enhancing disaster nursing skills among nursing students at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. The training, which uses a realistic train accident simulation and involves a response team of healthcare professionals, aims to improve knowledge and performance in crisis management and triage during mass casualty incidents. The study’s necessity stems from the critical role nurses play in disaster response, requiring a comprehensive understanding of challenges, collaboration among stakeholders, and improved capabilities. A random sample of 101 nursing students voluntarily participated in the study, with the necessary approvals obtained. We measured their emergency management skills and knowledge using a detailed questionnaire (27 items) and conducted pretest and posttest evaluations. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. The results indicate the training’s effectiveness, as a significant portion of participants achieved high performance levels in the posttest, contrasting with a higher percentage of fail-level grades in the pretest. These findings underscore the potential to improve disaster management protocols and nursing professionals’ preparedness in Saudi Arabia. The study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive education in disaster nursing in enhancing emergency response and patient outcomes.

From the moment the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses struggled to care for the COVID-19 patients. As the pandemic became increasingly critical, the task of daily care for critically ill patients fell upon the shoulders of ICU nurses. Understanding the lived experience of ICU nurses, as well as their perception of the experience, is important to identify key lessons to further improve ICU nurses’ psychological well-being and resilience. This study explored the lived experiences of ICU nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients using exploratory manifest qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study revealed that these ICU nurses offer important information concerning the crucial role of nurses’ family support and religious–spiritual practices in helping them to maintain well-being and cope with the intense situations caused by the pandemic. The lessons emerging from the study findings show that family support and religious–spiritual practices are resources for coping and resilience in times of future pandemics. This implies that ICU nurses who provide care during stressful emergency surges require relief by nurses working in other areas to provide them the opportunity to rest, reconnect with family and become emotionally re-energized.